Proprietor deplores style of VAT personnel

Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Director of Adepa Pharmaceutical Limited, Mrs Romana Omaboe, has expressed concern about the activities of some personnel of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Service who close down businesses.
She said it was important that the personnel were civil in the conduct as they discharge their duty so as not to create embarrassment to the firms.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic after her shop was closed down, Mrs Omaboe said the personnel entered her shop, handed over a demand notice and directed the staff and customers to leave the shop for it to be closed down.
She said a customer who wanted to take drugs he had already paid for was thrown out.
But the Deputy Commissioner of VAT in charge of Operations, Mr Kwasi Gyimah-Asante, explained that the demand notice Mrs Omaboe referred to was a distress warrant which authorised the personnel to close down the shop and gave the director 14 days to settle her indebtedness or the items be auctioned.
He explained that Mrs Omaboe came to his office and claimed that she had not been served with any final demand notice before the team came to close down the shop.
Based on that, he said, he called the local VAT office at Adabraka, which faxed a copy of the final demand notice given to Mrs Omaboe and it was dated August 15, 2007.
Mr Gyimah-Asante said it was after he had shown the faxed copy to her that Mrs Omaboe said she had not received any such notice.
“I gave her the benefit of the doubt and, therefore, asked that they re-open the shop for her,” he said.
Mrs Omaboe said she was concerned about the attitude and conduct of the VAT personnel and the impact it would have on her clients.
She said the procedures they used were not fair and not right.
According to her, the authorities felt that anyone operating at Makola was an illiterate and, therefore, would want to intimidate them.